Jews in Al-Andalus in Spain
About the contributions of the Jews to Andalusia in Spain.
In 711 A.D., Moslem troops conquered Spain and established dominance over the area. During the first centuries of Moslem control, the Jewish communities, autonomously administered, began a remarkable growth. In the time of the caliphate of Abderraman III (912-961), Cordoba became the center of culture and the arts. Led by Abu Yusuf Hasday ben Saprut. Jews nurtured a great cultural flowering. At the beginning of the 11th century, the Cordoba caliphate declined in power and, after several years of turmoil, Moslem kingdoms of "taifas" were formed. In one of these, the "Ziri" kingdom of Granada (under Berber dominion), the Jewish leader Samuel Ibn Nagrela ha-Naguid (993-1058) was appointed to a high position in the Moslem Court. At the same time, Lucena, Seville, Zaragoza, Toledo and other places contained important Jewish communities with outstanding writers, men of science, physicians and consultants to the royal courts.
In 1085, Toledo was retaken by the Christians - a serious setback for the "taifa" kingdoms that the arrival of the army of the Moslem Almoravides could not reverse, It was at this time that Jewish migration to Christian kingdoms began. The arrival of the even more war-like Almohades and their armies brought an end to the Jewish golden age in AI-Andalus.
Almohades advances were finally halted by their defeat at Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Fernando III took possession of Cordoba in 1236 and Sevilla in 1248. The king granted some privileges to Jews and employed them in his administration. Territories which had been abandoned during the Moslem-Christian wars were repopulated by the Christian kings with help from trained and educated Jews. During this period of Christian domination, the Jews of Al-Andalus lived a period of relative peace and tolerance. This period lasted almost until the end of the 14th century. In 1391, the Archdeacon of Encina, Ferrand Martinez, unchained a strong wave of anti-Jewish violence against the Andalusian Jewish quarters. This violence also spread to both kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Some Jews were able to take refuge in the "Nazari" kingdom of Granada, which was able to resist against the violence until 1492.
The most common employment of Jews in AI-Andalus was that of traders of leather and textiles, which they exported. They were also engaged in the skilled trades of carpenter, goldsmith, silversmith and weaver of silk, as well as tanners of leather and knitters of clothes. Thanks to their knowledge of several languages, the often acted as translators and interpreters.
About the contributions of the Jews to Andalusia in Spain.
In 711 A.D., Moslem troops conquered Spain and established dominance over the area. During the first centuries of Moslem control, the Jewish communities, autonomously administered, began a remarkable growth. In the time of the caliphate of Abderraman III (912-961), Cordoba became the center of culture and the arts. Led by Abu Yusuf Hasday ben Saprut. Jews nurtured a great cultural flowering. At the beginning of the 11th century, the Cordoba caliphate declined in power and, after several years of turmoil, Moslem kingdoms of "taifas" were formed. In one of these, the "Ziri" kingdom of Granada (under Berber dominion), the Jewish leader Samuel Ibn Nagrela ha-Naguid (993-1058) was appointed to a high position in the Moslem Court. At the same time, Lucena, Seville, Zaragoza, Toledo and other places contained important Jewish communities with outstanding writers, men of science, physicians and consultants to the royal courts.
In 1085, Toledo was retaken by the Christians - a serious setback for the "taifa" kingdoms that the arrival of the army of the Moslem Almoravides could not reverse, It was at this time that Jewish migration to Christian kingdoms began. The arrival of the even more war-like Almohades and their armies brought an end to the Jewish golden age in AI-Andalus.
Almohades advances were finally halted by their defeat at Navas de Tolosa in 1212. Fernando III took possession of Cordoba in 1236 and Sevilla in 1248. The king granted some privileges to Jews and employed them in his administration. Territories which had been abandoned during the Moslem-Christian wars were repopulated by the Christian kings with help from trained and educated Jews. During this period of Christian domination, the Jews of Al-Andalus lived a period of relative peace and tolerance. This period lasted almost until the end of the 14th century. In 1391, the Archdeacon of Encina, Ferrand Martinez, unchained a strong wave of anti-Jewish violence against the Andalusian Jewish quarters. This violence also spread to both kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Some Jews were able to take refuge in the "Nazari" kingdom of Granada, which was able to resist against the violence until 1492.
The most common employment of Jews in AI-Andalus was that of traders of leather and textiles, which they exported. They were also engaged in the skilled trades of carpenter, goldsmith, silversmith and weaver of silk, as well as tanners of leather and knitters of clothes. Thanks to their knowledge of several languages, the often acted as translators and interpreters.
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